The Urbanist

As the World Design Congress ponders a response to climate change, we meet one of the world’s best architects and an indigenous design expert. Plus: we visit Seattle’s new Waterfront Park.

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Gregory Scruggs unpacks a heritage feature of Dulles International Airport in Washington that to this day gives the terminal a unique charm.

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What are Cape Town’s secrets to liveability, how do you act like a local in Barcelona and why is the UAE the best place to bring people together?

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Monocle’s Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us the story of the world’s oldest psychiatric hospital, founded in the 13th century in London.

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We visit one of the US’s more successful attempts at a utopian society, as well as a mass-timber tower in Portland and the winners of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

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Valerie Hamilton takes us to the world’s oldest public-housing complex, which has a very unique payment system.

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We explore a crowdfunding platform for community projects, learn how to personalise the airport-retail experience and head to the Olten Chilbi folk festival in Switzerland.

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Noor Amylia Hilda takes us to the outskirts of Beirut to visit a monument for peace constructed from instruments of war.

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We unpack two stories exemplifying the principle that thoughtful design can have a deeper impact than just being pleasant to look at.

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Liam Syed takes us to a café in Damascus that serves up regional favourites blended with stories of the Syrian capital’s past.

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We assess how cultural spaces, music venues and arts festivals can bring a city economic success.

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Wif Stenger describes how the so-called “ugliest building in Oulu” can be redesigned to serve as a community treasure.

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We chair a roundtable conversation on the future of the office and how good design can bring people back to our city centres.

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to Budapest’s pioneering “ruin bar” to see how urban environments persevere through destruction.

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We review some strong city journalism to see how these publications and productions are helping city residents to stay informed about the environments that they live, work and play in.

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Sheena Rossiter tells us the story of Tyra, the world’s largest dinosaur, and how the community and the rest of Canada are reacting to news of her removal.

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We are in the United States this week to see how one of the world’s most car-dependent nations can make its streets more pedestrian friendly.

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To celebrate the release of Monocle’s Quality of Life Survey 2025, we record a special edition of the programme in association with Brookfield from the rooftop of their smart new offices in Mayfair, London. 

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Naomi Xu Elegant investigates the largest office-to-residential conversion in American history, which was recently completed in New York.

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We look at adaptive reuse through two lenses: a blockbuster case in the UK capital and an attempt to get European cities to legislate for less demolition.

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Tomas Pinheiro explores how the millennia-old settlement of Shanghai has grown into China’s most populous urban area.

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We look at the effects that war and conflict can have on our cities, and how we go about rebuilding our urban areas better than before.

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Charlotte McDonald-Gibson explains the design secrets and quirks behind this neoclassical US Supreme Court Building in Washington.

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We’re calling another meeting of ‘The Urbanist’ bookclub to review two titles: ‘Designing the American Century’ and ‘Women Architects at Work’.

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Guy De Launey recounts how Kupari Resort went from jewel in the Adriatic crown to derelict disaster zone, as well as what is planned for its revival.

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Can swimmability be an indicator for good quality of life and a healthy city? We report from the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit in Rotterdam to hear about those working to improve urban waterways.

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Henry Rees-Sheridan recalls what became of Zaha Hadid’s plans for the Cardiff Bay Opera House.

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From inclusive neighbourhoods and climate-resilient design to mobility and destination development, we explore how infrastructure is being redefined – not just as roads and bridges, but as a tool for better living.

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Petri Burtsoff takes us to a historic hotel in Estonia that has stayed true to its design roots for nearly a century.

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We look at urbanism from different lenses, from a neighbourhood built on independent brands to a view on how the architecture field can innovate. And: what is ‘The Design Perspective’?

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Geetanjali Krishna takes us to a 50-year-old cinema in Jaipur, which is managing to give modern multiplexes a run for their money.

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Monocle magazine’s editor, Josh Fehnert, is joined by editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, foreign editor, Alexis Self, and senior foreign correspondent, Carlota Rebelo, to discuss what makes a city truly liveable.

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We explore an innovative pay-to-grow scheme that is helping to encourage tree growth in Sierra Leone’s capital city. Plus, Stockholm’s Battle of the Elms and making a greener Denver.

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Elena Kuji Buteică guides us through Casa Vintilă Brătianu’s storied past and the careful restoration turning it into a space for community and public life in the heart of the Romanian capital.

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We recap the successes of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial. Plus: worker housing in Saudi Arabia and a new urban-farming development in London’s Canada Water district.

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Sally Howard tells us the secrets behind a repolished jewel in Manhattan’s hospitality crown.

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Born partly out of the necessity to store the V&A’s extensive collection, the V&A East Storehouse is already a curious asset in its own right. We uncover its design, construction and operation.

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Sophie Monaghan-Coombs tells us how the new V&A East Storehouse is bringing the memory of brutalist London housing estate Robin Hood Gardens to life.

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Carlota Rebelo reports from Bratislava for the second edition of the Start with Children summit, unpacking how child-friendly design can lead to better cities for all. 

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Liam Syed takes us to a cultural facility in the West Bank, which provides its users with an outlet for their cultural expression and helps to strengthen the area’s creative infrastructure.

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